Holder for note paper



April 18, 1950 s. R. CURTIS HOLDER FOR NOTE PAPER Filed Feb. 24, 1947 INVENTOR. STA/VL EV/QCMQf/S BY %M%Z I AT ORNEYS 'o'ne purpo'se'of such a j need not be separately tom most instances these deviceson a writing surface, where one hand while writing with the other.

, interference' and S that while being written -upon and need not be held l-byiia' writers free hand. -This "is particularly advantageous when -notes are being --tai1n- 0in? rtele'phone \commiinications.

Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNITED o FFlCE 2,504,654 :HOLDER "FOR "NOTE mean Stanley R. Ciirtis', Toledo; Ohio .App'lication February'M, 1947,; serisrm'eemzi-o '4 (Elainis.

Thisinvention rela-tes to holders'for note paper and;more particularlyflto a device'for holding a plurality of loose =note or memo sheets which are :.in';position :so'-that the top sheet of the several sheets is: exposed for use and so aremadeon the top sheet it can be easily removed if rom the holder without remov- Z'ing' or loosening the remaining sheets in the holder.

quicklyan'd Various idevice's have been developed for hold ing: small'note or m'emo' pads-or slie'ets of paper.

Usually these 'devices'con'sist'of holders for padded 'sheetscf -paper-so =that=each sheet as used must be torn from" the pad. 'W'hi-le this accomplishes device, 'narnely the holding "of ,a sheet of paperso'that a person writing notes "can write freely'withouthaving to hold the paper in'pla'ce, it is 1ess"thandesirable because {each sheetof paper'mustbe separately tornloosefiom the pad.

Other devices have'been developed whichinerely hold .looselsheets 'of paper and thus'eacli sheet from a pad but'in hold all the sheets on edge in small vertical compartments or hold them horizontally in box-like receptacles, In either case a shee-t cannot be used for-making notesunlessfirst individually removed and placed it 'mustbe held with It is the principal object "of the-present inventionto provide a small neat-device which will hold a 'considerable'quantity' of loose cards or-sheets of memo or note paper inpositiori 'so that-the,

:top card .0r-'sheet can be written upon without it 'Will remain in place videsuc'h a loose n'i'em'o sheet holder in which-the "uppermost sheet-after having been; used cart The the holderw'ithout Hatin 11 quickly whisked from tobetomloose. I V I Y It is a'iurther ebject-of thisinveritiontoprovide aimemo she'et holderwhichaiitomatically acc (cram-44) that "after notes single sheet as tightly as'iaag'ioup oi 'sheetsfor "vice'versa.

:113 is yet i'anotherobj ect" of this rinvention' lto Y l-provide a lmemoisheet-iholder'which has but two parts, each "simple andinex pensive 'to-z'c'onstriict. And still another i'ebj'ect ds *to provide a desk accessory capable of rel ever'atteritii'ml* attracting manipnlation' which'= th'ei efore is adaipted for 'e'x ploitation as an advertising device.

More"important objectsland advantagesa're apparent fromithe dfawingsfiin which:

"Figure I is 1 perspective view -"of a-note p'ap'er mower: emloody g the invention being shown with a pad of note- 01 m'em'opapers inserted therein; the paper hei'ng' brokenaway to show ce'rtaimdetails'of constriiction ofthe device.

V Figure II i's' a vertica'l sectional 'view' taken s'itbstahtiall'y frorn the pbsithn indicated "by the "--1ine'-II-'-II-oi Figure I. I v 'Fi'giire I1Ifis' "a irertical sectiofial view "taken fsubstantially from'the position indicated by the 'line IIL- IIIoT nigarei.

A memo padholder iiibo'dyin'g the invention consists of twomaiii'parts; a'base l and a paper "retainer '2. The ba's'e rmsy-te molded as-a "single mace 'i'rorn' a plastic or a synthetic "resin as, ror "example; nib "phenol-formaldehyde, in "finishes appmxini'atmg "appearance various woodssiichas'walmit andmahogany, or it may joe mdlded'from melamine-formaldehyde or ureafformaldehydeir'i materials having desired color or -jc0'mbinati'on of colors. The base I "also may be stamped ofsheet steel'or aluminum alloy, die

cast'of suitableinetal, for be"molded "of glass, ceramics or papier-maiihe or it'may be constri1'ctedof*wdod.

hi the base I 'i's that or an shouldbeof approximately jeep newer-to provide clearance r n orde'r thatit ep'letion ofa s tajck or me o outermost surfaces of the skirts 3 can be finished in any desired manner depending upon the material from which the base I is made.

One of the functions of the retainer 2 is that of a paperweight. Hence, it preferably should be formed from a relatively heavy metal as, for example, say, about 20 gauge steel, The paper retainer 2 has a main body 4 which is suspended within the base I beneath the flat upper surface of the base I. At the ends of the body portion 4 of the retainer 2 are end pieces 5 which extend upwardly through a pair of transverse slots 6 molded or otherwise cut or formed near the front and rear ends of the flat top of the base I. Each of the end pieces 5 is' turned'over horizontally toward the center of the device to form a retaining lip I which rests on the upper surface of the uppermost sheet of paper retained in the device.

At one side of each end piece 5 (in-the drawings, the left side in Figure I) there is a stop 8 which extends across from the edge of the body portion 4 along the end piece 5 to the lip 7. Each of the stops 8 extends through a short longitudinally extending slot 9 also molded or cut in the flat top of the base I and joining the slot 6 to which it is adjacent.

The end pieces 5 constitute hangers to support A .the main body 4 of the retainer and also operate as guides to direct its movement up and down. They also form end walls of a receptacle for the stack of .cards or sheets of paper to be held and act as guides along which the stack may be inserted and along which the discrete cards or sheets successively may be withdrawn. The lips I constitute hooks at the tops of the end pieces which prevent the retainer from drop-- ping out of position and also operate as lightly applied clamps to prevent accidental displacement of the cards or sheets of paper.

The entire paper retainer (comprising its main body 2, its ends 5, lips I and stops 8) moves up and down in the slots 6. When the supply of cards or sheets is to be replenished the user simply picks up the base with one hand, his fingers extending beneath the main body of the retainer to'elevate 4 it until it engages the lower surface of the flat and a stack of cards or sheets held in the user's I to lower the side at which the stops 8 are located and a stack of cards or sheets held in the users other hand is dropped into place. As the stack slides over the flat top of the base between the guiding end pieces ,5 and comes to rest against the stops 8, it arranges itself into a neat pile.

Y When the user deposits the tray upon his desk thepaper retainer is released and gravity pulls its lips I lightly down upon the edges of the cards or sheets of note paper. The sheet of metal form.-

ing the main body portion of the paper retainer has sufficient weight to releasably hold the stack 1 of memo sheets in place.

When a user desires to make notes on the uppermost sheet of the memo paper, theweight of f' the base and of the paper retainer is sufficient to keep the device stationary while he is writing.

Thus it is. unnecessary for a person to use his other hand tc'hold the note sheet in -place, that hand being available for holding a telephone, or reference material such as a book or paper from which notes are being taken. After the uppermostsheet of paper has served its purpose it can easily be removed from the 5 paper holder by slipping it sidewise or by pinching a finger and thumb together while in contact with the sheet, the friction between the fingers and the'uppermost sheet being suflicient to withw.

draw the edges of the sheet from beneath the lips I. As a sheet is withdrawn gravity pulls the paper retainer 2 downwardly into engagement witlr what was the second sheet but then becomes the uppermost sheet, and the memo pad is again ready for further use.

In the size of the device as illustrated there is provided room for retaining a stack of memo sheets approximately one-quarter to threeeighths inch in thickness without having the uppermost sheet be too high above a writing surface for comfort and ease in writing thereon. Dimensions of the device, of course, may be changed in order to provide for the retention of different sized sheets of paper and of 'difierent quantities of paper. Such adaptations call only for different dimensions of the two units, which, though each is simple in structure, cooperate in so many ways to accomplish the objects of the invention and enhance the utility of the device.

The embodiment of the invention may be modified within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims to meet various requirements.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A note paper holder comprising, in combination, a base having a substantiallyplanar upper surface, and a paper retainer, said paper retainer having horizontally extending lips adapted to overlie and rest upon edges of the uppermost one of a stack of loose note papers lying on the upper surface of said base and a body portion connecting said lips and located beneath said base, said lips of said paper retainer extending upwardly from said body portion, said paper retainer being liftable to insert a stack of note papers beneath said lips and urged downwardly by force of gravity to retain the note papers on said base.

2. A note paper holder comprising, in combination, a base having a substantially planar upper surface, and a paper retainer, said paper retainer having at least one lip portion and a body portion extending substantially parallel to said lip, said lips being adapted to overlie and rest upon at least one edge of the uppermost one of a plurality of loose note papers lying on the upper surface of said base, and vertically extending paper stops adapted to position loose note papers in an orderly stack, said lips and stopsprojecting upwardly through said base and being freely movable vertically, said paper retainer being liftable cated within said base, vertical end wall members extending upwardly through said slots, and retaining lips formed on the upper ends of said end wall members, said retaining .lips being adapted to overlie and rest upon the edgesof the uppermost one of a stack of note papers lying on the upper surface of said base, said paper retainer being freely movable vertically as;-a unit to in sert a stack of note papers beneath said lips and being downwardly urged by force of gravity to l press said lips on the stack of papers and to retain the papers on said base.

4. A note paper holder comprising, in combination, a base having a substantially planar approximately horizontally extending upper sur-faceand ahollow interior, slots in said upper surface leadin gto the interior of saidbase, and a paper retainer having a horizontal portion located within said base, vertical end members extending upwardly through said slots, vertically extending paper stops located at one side only of said retainer and extending upwardly through said slots, and horizontally extending retaining lips at the upper ends of said end members, said retaining lips being adapted to overlie and rest upon the edges of the uppermost one of a stack of note papers lying on the upper surface of said base, 10

said paper retainer being freely movable vertically as a, unit to insert a stack of note papers beneath said lips and being downwardly urged by force of gravity to press said lips on the stack of papers and to retain the papers on said base.

STANLEY R. CURTIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date O'Connell June 24, 1930 Dell May 21, 1935 

